Rajasthan Diaries - Part I

PINK

Almost a year ago, I had visited the beautiful city of Udaipur, located in the southernmost part of Rajasthan. So fascinated was I with the experience that I made up my mind to visit again. After many months of careful planning, on November 01, my friends & I were finally on our way to the land of kings – Rajasthan.

Having ten whole days at our disposal, we decided to explore what we could of four different cities. So, boarding a flight from Mumbai we headed towards our first destination.

Jaipur – the Pink City

November 01-03.

Jaipur, named after its founder, the Rajput ruler Jaising II, is the capital and the largest city in the state of Rajasthan. Being part of the Golden triangle tourist circuit along with Delhi & Agra, Jaipur is a very popular destination for Indian and foreign tourists. Having heard much of this ‘pink city’ we were very keen to begin sightseeing. But first, we checked in at Shahar Palace (https://www.shaharpalace.com/). At first, we did worry that the accommodation seemed quite away from the major sights of Jaipur, but by the end of the day we changed our opinion and found that Shahar Palace was not only centrally located but also perfect after a hectic day around the bustling city.

Day 1.

The Albert Hall Museum

Jaipur was not what we expected it to be, really. The city itself was like any other city with its fair share of traffic and noise. Since it was already late by the time we arrived at Shahar Palace, all we had planned was a night visit to the Albert Hall Museum, the oldest museum in the state. The foundation stone of this museum was laid during the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1876 and it was completed in 1887. What struck us first were the beautiful display of lights that the Museum was bathed in. It’s truly fascinating to look at! The collection it houses is not very large, but it is varied and quite impressive.

The architecture itself is worth admiring and we did spend quite a while enjoying the play of lights on the ancient structure.

Having done that, we crossed the street to Masala Chowk, a food court with a cozy, rustic feel, serving all kinds of sweet and savory delicacies. Dining here is a very good option as the food is decently priced, clean and delicious. We feasted of aloo tikki, chole-bature & steaming hot chai served in clay pots.

This was followed by a hot bath and some much-needed sleep back at Shahar Palace. The room was very comfortable, and the surroundings peaceful & quiet.

Day 2.

Jal Mahal, Amber Fort, Nahargarh and Panna-Meena Kund (step-well).

Early the next morning, we were all dressed and ready when our auto-driver, Shahid, came to collect us. As instructed, he first directed us to The Indian Coffee House, a coffee shop still steeped in colonial charm. A smiling waiter, Ved Prakash, dressed smartly in a cummerbund and turban served us our hot coffee and kheema-omlette. We also ordered some medu-vada with a delicious chutney as accompaniment.

Our breakfast completed, we settled back for a fairly long drive towards Jal Mahal, or, the water palace, built in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. The palace, built of red sandstone, is five storeys high. When the lake is full, four storeys remain submerged under water and only the topmost floor is visible. On the day of our visit there was fairly low visibility on account of the smog that had moved in from the nearby city of Delhi. We were unable to get a very clear look of the Jal Mahal from the promenade on the banks of the lake, but it was still a lovely sight. A few vendors were setting up their stalls selling local handicrafts and jewellery.

Now, our plan was originally to move on to Nahargarh, Jaigarh, Panna-Meena Kund and end with sunset at the Amber Fort. Our auto-driver, however, insisted on taking us first to the beautiful citadel of Amber.

Amber Fort, also known as Amer Fort, is the highlight of any trip to Jaipur. Situated around 11kms from Jaipur, the fort overlooks the Maotha Lake. The opulent palace built of red sandstone and marble is largely influenced by Mughal architectural styles. One can either walk up to the fort or, do what’s very popular here and go uphill on elephant-back. We decided to try the latter, but on closer inspection, I found the elephant to be far bigger and taller than I had expected. Plus, there was a long wait for our turn. Cutting through the gardens, we decided to walk uphill towards the fort. Now, it’s a well laid out path all the way up to the main entrance of the fort and having a guide with you is a good idea. We hired the services of Sudarshan, a well-spoken guide who regaled us with lots of information and tales of Amer and its neighboring villages. He spoke of beheadings and human sacrifice and also of the many beautiful structures within the fort – Diwan-e-Aam, Diwan-e-Khaas and the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors).

By the time we had had our fill of Amer, it was time for lunch. This was at Chokha Amer, a restaurant at the foothills of Amer. We feasted like kings on a traditional Rajasthani thali with yummy dal-baati-choorma. The mava-baati was especially delicious.

Next stop, Nahargarh, or, the Home of Tigers, built mainly in 1784 by Sawai Jai Singh, the ruler of Jaipur. This fort is said to provide a beautiful view of Jaipur city, however, we found the fort to be very crowded with tourists. Every staircase and narrow corridor was packed with people trying to squeeze their way to the rooftop. Apparently, there was a film shoot scheduled there that day and everyone was eager to catch a glimpse of the stars, whoever they might be. We didn’t wait to find out. 

Seeing what little we could of Nahargarh, we decided against viewing its Sheesh Mahal and wax exhibits and made our way back downhill. Together, these three forts of Amer, Nahargarh & Jaigarh once formed a strong ring of defense for the city. Had we stuck to our original plan, we’d have had plenty of time to explore the third citadel in the vicinity – Jaigarh. Given that it was now nearing sunset, we drove on to the Panna-Meena Kund or step well.

Step wells are deep wells where the water is reached by climbing down many levels of steps/stairs. Such step wells are fairly common across western India, with the largest and deepest being Chand Baori at Abhaneri, approximately 100kms away from Jaipur. The Panna Meena Kund at Amer is much smaller, but still quite impressive. One isn’t permitted to climb down to the water, so we contented ourselves by sitting on the topmost step, grateful for the complete lack of tourists at the site. Very soon, we got chatting with the caretaker and a local policeman who were the only other people at the kund. They were great to chat with and were eager to regale us with information about the kund, the village of Amer & its majestic fort.

Much later, after some hot chai at a local tea-stall, we headed back to the Pink City and walked a while through the crowded and gaily lit streets of Bapu Bazaar, a market popular for traditional garments & ethnic jewelry. But we were on the lookout for dinner, and this we found at Ganesh Rooftop Restaurant.

Now, when they say ‘rooftop’ they actually mean it in every sense of the word. The restaurant is actually on the roof of a row of shops on the main street. It has no walls and no roof, just a couple of tables, metal chairs and great food at equally great prices! So hungry were we that no sooner had the food been served than we began to dig in with gusto. Spicy chana-aloo, crisp masala papad, delicious butter-paneer and piping hot tandoori rotis dripping in butter, all gone in less than ten minutes.

What more could we do after such a meal, but curl up in bed and sleep?

Day 3.

The Pink City – The City Palace, Jantar-Mantar, Hawa Mahal & Arnold.

Rising early for a new day, we took a short walk to a tea-stall beside a shrine called Petrol Pump wale Balaji. The vendor, a senior gentleman by the name of Jugal Kishore Sharma, works at his stall from 6am to 6pm each day, serving cups of hot chai and super-delicious kachoris.

Tonight, we were to leave for Jodhpur, but there was a full day ahead of us. Packing our bags and leaving them at the Shahar Palace, we proceeded towards the Pink City. This walled, historic city is so called because of the dominant colour scheme of almost all of its buildings. Our first stop was at the City Palace, built around the same time as the city of Jaipur. Purchasing our tickets at the gate we set out to get a glimpse into the world of the rajas of Jaipur. Once again, like at most places in Jaipur, the City Palace was teeming with tourists. Most of whom were more interested in clicking selfies than in actually seeing the palace.

There is much to see by way of ornate architecture, a well-displayed gallery of royal garments and weapons &, the opulent Subha Niwas. Also worth viewing is the Sarvato Bhadra or Diwan-e-Khaas. This was a special place used mainly for festivals and functions like coronations of the Maharajas. Here, on display, you will find the world’s largest urns of sterling silver. These massive urns weighing around 340kgs each were commissioned by Sawai Madhao Singh II to carry water of the Ganges to drink while on his trip to England in 1901.

Across the street from the City Palace, is the Jantar-Mantar, an impressive collection of nineteen gigantic, astronomical instruments built by Sawai Jai Singh II. It features the world’s largest stone sundial and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Beside the Jantar Mantar, a short walk away, is the famous Hawa Mahal, or ‘the Palace of Winds’. Built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, this beautiful, 5 storied structure of red & pink sandstone boasts of 953 windows, or Jharokas, These latticed windows allowed the ladies of the palace to view the goings-on in the street below without the fear of being seen. Many people see Hawa Mahal from the street and mistake it to be the front. The popular beehive-like structure that graces many a postcard is actually the back of the structure. On entering the Mahal, one is greeted by a beautiful fountain and small courtyard. The entire Mahal is connected by a series of narrow passages, almost like a maze.

Next followed a leisurely, late lunch at Ganesh Restaurant. Having nothing more to do for the next few hours, we entered the Golcha Multiplex & decided to while away the hours watching Arnold Schwarzenegger reprise his role as the Terminator. Little did we know that the move would be dubbed. So, for the next couple of hours we sat watching a Hindi speaking Arnold trying to battle some form of alien life form.

Highlights of our Jaipur experience:

-          The Amer Fort

-          Food at Ganesh Restaurant
-          A Hindi speaking Schwarzenegger.

Pics by Misha